The Agriculture Development Bank PLC (ADB) has officially presented a cheque of five hundred and seventy thousand Ghana Cedis (GH¢570,000.000) to Solomon Kwadwo Kusi, the 2020 National Best Farmer on the celebration of the farmers day held at Techiman in the Bono East Region.
According to ADB, it received an agribusiness proposal seeking funds from the bank by the said farmer through the Ministry of Food and Agriculture and after careful study the Agribusiness division was impressed at the document and indicated that part of the money will be used to purchase and install a cocoa drying house, expand most of his existing farms to enable him create more jobs.
Besides, three boreholes will be constructed as well as the upgrade of his agricultural mechanization center and the adoption of improved agricultural methods, propagation materials, fertilizers, animal feed, among others.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony in Accra, the Managing Director of ADB, Dr. John Kofi Mensah congratulated Mr. Solomon Kusi as the overall winner of the 2020 national best farmer, and indicated that the bank will provide him with a committed technical team to support him in ensuring the proper utilization of the funds.
ADB continues to collaborate with MOFA to ensure that the agriculture sector plays a significant role on food security and sufficiency of the country”, he assured.
The Managing Director said the bank is also funding out grower schemes for the IDIF projects to boost job creation as well as planting for food and jobs, rearing for food and jobs, planting for export and rural development and explained that these initiatives are agriculture component of the IDIF.
The bank have also initiated moves for similar projects in the Eastern and Greater Accra Regions as our committed technical team in evaluating applications from poultry farmers to support them in the agricultural value chain”, he added.
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For his part, the Minister of Agriculture, Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto said the farmers’ day celebration is a flagship programme on the calendar of the ministry, adding that it will be expanded to accommodate more farmers across the country.
He said the achievement of the national best farmer will challenge other farmers across the country to work hard to enable them receive national recognition in all their farming activities and therefore called on the bank to institute flexible terms of loans for farmers to access funds for farming investments.
Receiving the cheque, Solomon Kusi thanked government and the management and staff of ADB for the gesture saying the initiative will urge other farmers to embrace agriculture as a lucrative venture.
I humbly appeal to ADB to open a branch at Elubo, a suburb of Jomoro in Western Region to serve the farming communities”, he said.
Source: Ben LARYEA
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